Oven Baked Risotto

By LoriCaputo

Ingredients

• 4 large porcini mushrooms
• 2 tbs. butter plus more for ramekins
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tbs. olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1/2 ½ small zucchini, cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 medium tomato, cored and cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 1/2 1 ½ tsp. Finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 1 ½ tsp. Finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp. Finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 1/2 3 ½ cups vegetable broth, heated to a simmer
• 2 tbs. finely grated cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Trim mushroom and cut stems from caps. Cut caps into ¼ inch thick slices, and stems into ¼ inch dice. Melt 1 tbs. butter over medium high heat. Add mushroom caps and cook until softened, about 1 ½ minutes, per side; transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper.
Add 2 tbs. oil to a skillet and return to medium high heat. Add mushroom stems, celery, carrot, and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly golden, about 3 minutes, add tomato and cook until any liquid from the tomato has evaporated, 3 – 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and toss with parsley, sage, mint, and pinch salt and pepper. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pan, heat remaining 2 tbs. oil over medium heat, add shallot and cook until light golden and then add rice, stir to coat and cook for an additional minute. Add wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any bits. Cook until wine is mostly evaporated, then add 1 cup broth and reduce heat to medium low; cook, stirring, until broth is mostly absorbed; 5 – 7 minutes. In ½ cupfuls, add remaining broth, stirring until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender yet still slightly firm to the bite, you may have broth left over. Remove from heat and stir in cheese; add remaining tablespoon of butter.
Generously butter ramekins. Line bottoms with a single layer of mushroom tops, chop any leftover tops and add to vegetable mixture. Put ¼ cup risotto into each ramekin, then press risotto into the bottom and up the sides of the ramekins to create cavities. Fill each cavity with 1 ½ tbs. of vegetable mixture, then top with remaining risotto, packing lightly. Place remaining vegetable mixture in a small baking dish. Place ramekins and baking dish with vegetables on a baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes.
Remove risotto and vegetables from the oven and run a paring knife around the edges. Invert risotto onto serving plate and sprinkle with pepper. Serve with warm vegetables.